Easter: Passengers stranded at Abuja airport as FAAN, fuel marketers clash

The hope of celebrating the coming Easter with loved ones by many Christians may have been dashed by the face off between the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and oil marketers over increase in the apron pass charges for the marketers.

Following the pay as you go policy introduced by the government agency to collect charges for the services they render to the marketers while discharging fuel to the airlines, which restricted their access to the apron, many passengers bid to travel for the Yuletide were left stranded at the Abuja today as the airlines could not refuel for their operations.

According to information gathered, many of the aircraft that had up to 70 per cent passengers booking but could not depart the Abuja airport as the oil marketers could not sell aviation fuel to them.

This came just as the latest increase in the apron pass charges may force the oil marketers to in return increase the price of aviation fuel.

Presently, a liter of aviation fuel sells for between N700 and N800 depending on the marketer and the airport.

Any attempt by the marketers to raise the price of aviation fuel may equally be reciprocated with fare increases by the domestic carriers, with passengers becoming the victims.

Commenting on the situation, the spokesperson for FAAN, Mrs Faithful Hope-Ivbaze said FAAN had in June 2022 notified the oil marketers that their apron pass charges had expired and given up till April 1st, 2023 to pay up.

Despite the early notice the marketers failed to pay up which left FAAN with no other choice but to deny them access to the apron since it is huge amount that the authority spends to maintain their facilities and fix them when they malfunction.

The oil marketers are, according to the agreement between them and FAAN expected to each pay the sum of N200,000 yearly.